1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:5"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.' "14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise' ?"17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"24Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.25John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'26But if we say, 'From men'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."27So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.28"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'29" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.30"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.37Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them.46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

1The LORD said to Moses,2"Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him.3I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.4If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death,5I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.6" 'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.7" 'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.8Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.9" 'If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head.10" 'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.11" 'If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.12" 'If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.13" 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.14" 'If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.15" 'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.16" 'If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.17" 'If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.18" 'If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people.19" 'Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.20" 'If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.21" 'If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.22" 'Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.23You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.24But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.25" 'You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground--those which I have set apart as unclean for you.26You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.27" 'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' "

1Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.3Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.4If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.5After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you--for I will be going through Macedonia.6Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.7I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.8But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,9because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.10If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.11No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.12Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.14Do everything in love.15You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers,16to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.17I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.18For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.19The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.20All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.21I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.22If anyone does not love the Lord --a curse be on him. Come, O Lord !23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.9I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.13I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.18"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you):25Only hold on to what you have until I come.26To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--27'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery -- just as I have received authority from my Father.28I will also give him the morning star.29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

1I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:2God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.3A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.4It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded.5Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man--6even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?7All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.8What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others?9Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.10Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with one who is stronger than he.11The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?12For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?

1The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."2The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.3Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.4The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."5The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.7He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

1Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.3The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.4A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.5He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.6Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.7Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool-- how much worse lying lips to a ruler!8A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.9He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.10A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.11An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him.12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.13If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent-- the LORD detests them both.16Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.18A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.19He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.20A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.21To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.23A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.24A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.26It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.27A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.28Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

1In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD.2The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.3The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple.4He made narrow clerestory windows in the temple.5Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms.6The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.7In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.8The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third.9So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks.10And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.11The word of the LORD came to Solomon:12"As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.13And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."14So Solomon built the temple and completed it.15He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine.16He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.17The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.18The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.19He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.20The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.21Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.22So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.23In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.24One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits--ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip.25The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape.26The height of each cherub was ten cubits.27He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room.28He overlaid the cherubim with gold.29On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers.30He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood with five-sided jambs.32And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold.33In the same way he made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall.34He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets.35He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.36And he built the inner courtyard of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.37The foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv.38In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it.

1This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt--in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis--and in Upper Egypt:2"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins3because of the evil they have done. They provoked me to anger by burning incense and by worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew.4Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, 'Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!'5But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.6Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today.7"Now this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?8Why provoke me to anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations on earth.9Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your fathers and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?10To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your fathers.11"Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah.12I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach.13I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem.14None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives."15Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present--a large assembly--and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah,16"We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD!17We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.18But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine."19The women added, "When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?"20Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,21"Did not the LORD remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land?22When the LORD could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today.23Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see."24Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah in Egypt.25This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, 'We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.' "Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!26But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, "As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives."27For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed.28Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand--mine or theirs.29" 'This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares the LORD, 'so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.'30This is what the LORD says: 'I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life.' "

1Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:2"King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,3and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.4"The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me.8Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?9"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.10And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.12"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'15"Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' " 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.16'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'19"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.22But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen--23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."24At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."25"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable.26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."28Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"29Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them.31They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment."32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."